Travel e-Scapes: June 28, 2016

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DESTINATION & DEAL OF THE DAY: U.S. to Cuba

TODAY! Round-trip from Miami to Cuba:
$286 Miami to Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Matanzas and Camaguey
Service begins September 7 to Cienfuego and Holguin; over various September days to other destinations
A 3-night minimum stay required, or one Saturday night
Valid on trips completed on or before November 15
Valid on American Airlines, nonstop
Purchase today, June 28
Travelers to Cuba must be approved for travel to Cuba by the U.S. government in one of 12 categories (humanitarian, family and people-to-people visits designed to encourage meaningful exchanges with the Cuban people).

TRAVEL TIPS & TIDBITS

7-Point Family Checklist
Before hitting the skies or the road with the family, check these 7 scenarios to make sure you are ready for that big trip: 1. Driving to or through Canada with children:
Only a birth certificate is required for under age 16. A passport or equivalent document is required of those age 16 or older to enter Canada.
A notarized letter of permission from the other parent (if one parent traveling with a child) giving permission to take the child out of the country on specific dates. If another adult is driving cross border with a child, a notarized letter must be presented whenever possible.
Travelers with NEXUS can use express lanes, but all occupants must hold a NEXUS card (free for under age 18). 2. Flying domestically with children:
Although not required, it is wise to bring along a birth certificate for each child under age 18 traveling.
Call ahead to an airline to inform them of an ‘infant in arms’ when traveling a child under age 2.
Strollers and car seats can be checked free with an airline at the gate area.
Parents with TSA PreCheck can bring children under 12 with them through the fast security lanes. The TSA offers more advice for traveling with children. 3. Groceries upon arrival:
Many resort areas offer grocery delivery service. Inquire with your hotel or resort, or Google ‘grocery delivery’ and the destination zip code. Companies in Orlando include www.wegoshop.com www.gardengrocer.com www.orlandogroceryexpress.com.4. Flying internationally with children:
Infants and children require a passport for international travel. The child applicant also must appear in person at the passport application facility. A passport for a child also requires permission from both parents. Visit the State Department for more information. Children cannot use Global Entry kiosks on their parents’ clearance.5. Zika:
The virus has been diagnosed in 39 countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico – and linked to serious birth defects in the developing fetus. Zika is usually mild or has no effect on children or adults. The CDC recommends preventing mosquito bites with insect repellent and netting over beds for small children. 6. Unaccompanied minors:
Acceptance of children traveling solo varies widely between airlines. Most require that the child be at least age 8 — and there are varying rules on whether a child can take a route that requires a flight connection.
Southwest: Ages 5-11 accepted at $50 each way in addition to airfare.
Alaska: Accepts ages 5-12 for $25 each way.
jetBlue: A $100 one-way additional free for ages 5-13
American, Delta, Frontier, and Spirit: Extra fees range from $100-$150 for ages 5-14.
United: $150 additional each way for ages 5-15.
Allegiant: Unaccompanied minors not accepted.7. Reduce time on devices:
Make memories with activities not normally done at home. Build a fire to make s’mores, take a hike, rent canoes for a river tide, write a family song about the sights and experiences, and collect items to make a scrapbook/souvenir book. Going on a road trip? Bring along an old-fashioned map and let them follow the route.Source:Detroit Free Press

Universal Orlando News
Universal Orlando will welcome it’s third theme park in 2017 when it unveils the 28-acre Volcano Bay water park. The water park will feature water slides, water coasters, lazy rivers, raft rides and relaxation areas centered around a towering volcano with beaches, waterfalls and glowing ‘lava.’
The park was designed by the same team that brought the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Universal Orlando.
The new park is scheduled to open in time for the 2017 summer season.
Click here to watch a preview video.

SPECIAL DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL OFFERS

Airfare offers – ones with a ticket-by date – and deals with our suggestion to ‘Hurry!’ can expire at anytime. Heed Clark’s advice: Buy that great airfare deal – and then figure out a reason to go there! Eventually, you’ll see the world at a fraction of the normal price!

HURRY! One-way from Atlanta, each way:
$48 Miami
Travel any available day of the week starting on or after August 16
Add $10 for travel 7 or more days in advance
Final travel November 16 (not valid October 16)
Valid on American, nonstop

Round-trip from Atlanta:
$366 Cabo San Lucas-Los Cabos ($183 one-way travel permitted)
Valid Monday-Thursday only
Depart on or after August 23
Finish travel on or before December 13
No blackout dates
Valid on American via Dallas-Ft. Worth
Purchase by July 7

Round-trip from Atlanta:
$660 Kauai or Kona
$708 Maui
Add $25 per direction for Friday-Sunday travel
Start travel on or after October 19
Finish trips on or before December 20
Delta and United blackout dates: December 2-5 west; November 27-30; December 8-14 east
No blackout dates on American Airlines
Purchase by July 4
Note: Honolulu is not part of this sale

NOTE: Airline fees can and often do exceed the cost of your flight! Additional charges now apply to budget and sale rates on most airlines for a carry-on bag, checked baggage and advance seat assignments. The least expensive fees are charged when these options are added during the flight booking process. Fees climb higher after flights are reserved and even higher when adding these options at airport check-in. Kayak offers the most up-to-date Fees Chart for all domestic and international airlines.

SPECIAL HOTEL & RESORT OFFERS

Family-Friendly London & England
During a hotel search, check out the neighborhoods of South Kensington (close to Hyde Park and kid-friendly museums), Marylebone (friendly neighborhood feel in the heart of the city), and Bloomsbury (tree lined streets and the British Museum). Also, close proximity to a London tube station is key. Here are some suggestions for family-friendly properties in London and outside of the city in countryside locations (1 British Pound = $1.32 ):

Premier Inn London Bank (Tower), from £69: Nothing fancy, but the lobby has snack and ice cream vending machines and the rooms are clean and functional.
Premier Inn charges by the room, not by the person — so that £69 can cover two parents and two children up to the age of 15. Children also eat breakfast for free (£10 per adult). This Premier location is a short walk to key sights like the Tower of London, and the West End is a tube hop away. Around half of the rooms at Bank are family rooms. Premier offers 50 hotel locations across Greater London.
_____The Ampersand Hotel, Kensington, from £162: This boutique hotel, which is perfectly placed for exploring London’s Museum Mile, is quiet and intimate but also laid back and unintimidating – making it an ideal family choice. There is a games room filled with children’s books, board games, from chess and backgammon to ludo and Rubik’s Cubes – and a full-sized ping pong table. Families are best off booking one of the deluxe studios or suites, which can take a fold-out bed and include small kitchenettes. Interconnecting rooms are also available.
_____Augill Castle, Cumbia, from £170: Quirky Augill Castle is located in the lovely Eden Valley between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. With the trappings of a neo-Gothic castle – tower and turrets in miniature has appeal for children and adults. On the 15-acre grounds is a tree house, playground and tennis court, and inside, a 12-seater cinema, and a popular children’s cooking school.
_____Hilton London Metropole, from £187: Located on the busy Edgware Road but a 2-minute walk to Edgware Station and just up the road from the greenery of Regent’s Park or Kensington Gardens. The hotel offers Family Superior rooms with two queen size beds and a sofa bed, a separate relaxation area, and on-demand movies. This Hilton also has a heated indoor pool, a babysitting service, and a health club. Take in views of the city from the 23rd floor.
_____Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, Winchfield, from £285: Located just an hour from London, this Four Seasons is the only UK country hotel. Set amid 500 acres of green fields, guests can watch the hotel’s horses frolic in paddocks from the sophisticated bedrooms of the 18th-century renovated manor with a spa, pool, and at the Kids’ Club with cycling, croquet, tennis or even ‘owning a pony’ for a day or boating on the Basingstoke Canal.

Travel e-Scapes is brought to you by Clara Bosonetto, Team Clark Travel Editor. Follow Clara on Twitter.